This Woman Lost Her Eye After a Routine Trip to the Dentist Went Horribly Wrong

In 2013, Jenn Morrone went to the dentist for a root canal. Her dentist didn’t have her wear eye protection—something that’s recommended for all visits to the dentist by both the American Dental Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

RELATED: A Piece of Glitter Got Stuck in This Woman’s Eye—And It Almost Killed Her

During the procedure, the needle used to numb Jenn’s mouth with Novocaine was accidentally dropped and fell into her eye, she told CBS Philly in a recent interview. This was just the beginning of her dental nightmare.

The bacteria from Jenn’s mouth (which we all have and is totally normal) that got onto the needle caused a serious eye infection. After multiple surgeries and rounds of antibiotics, she ended up having to get her eye removed. She’s now sharing her story to raise awareness about the importance of eye protection through her Facebook page, Jenn’s Vision. “I really trusted my dentist,” she said in her interview with CBS Philly. “I did not know eye protection was so important.”

Although the falling needle may have put Jenn’s case into the freak accident category, not wearing eye protection can be dangerous even during a routine cleaning, where bacteria can still fly into your eyes as your dentist polishes those pearly whites. So make sure you insist on wearing eye protection every time you go in for a procedure or cleaning, even if your dentist doesn’t.